It took a while, but the Dauphin Kings have found their scoring touch.
After scoring just 12 goals in their first six games, the Kings nearly doubled that total in a weekend split with the Winnipeg Blues.
Following a 4-1 loss to the Neepawa Titans, Sept. 27 in Neepawa, the Kings dropped a 7-5 decision to the Blues, Friday in Dauphin.
The Kings held a 2-0 lead after the first period on goals from Matthew Gough and Dauphin native Rylan Gibbs.
Kai Elkie pulled Winnipeg to within a goal 1:11 into the second period, then took advantage of a five-minute power play when Kings forward Carter Zalischuk was assessed a major penalty for boarding, scoring four times on the man advantage, with Jack Kaiser scoring twice and Luke Janus and Garett Zasitko bending the twine.
Zasitko would add another later in the frame to take a 6-2 lead, before Tyson Pauze and Jovan Malay scored before the period break to cut into the lead.
The teams traded goals in the third with Winnipeg’s Ryland Kuczek and Dauphin’s Alex Senf finding the back of the net.
Brock Moroz made 33 saves in the win, while Keaton Woolsey had 25 saves in taking the loss.
The two teams met for a rematch, Sunday in Winnipeg, with the Kings skating away with a 6-4 victory.
Jayden Harris for the King and Zasitko for the Blues tallied in the first period.
The Kings broke the game open with three in the second off the sticks of Gough, Mason Smith and Gibbs.
Kuczek and Pearce Gare pulled Winnipeg to within a goal, but Thomas Stewart put the Kings up by two with just under eight minutes remaining.
Matthew McLeod again made it a one-goal game with 49 seconds left in regulation, but Senf sealed the Dauphin victory just 14 seconds later.
Cole Sheffield earned his first win of the season after stopping 17 shots. River Leslie-Toogood made 29 saves in a losing cause.
The Kings will look to keep the momentum going when they face the Steinbach Pistons in a home-and-home this weekend, beginning, Friday in Dauphin at 7:30 p.m.
The rematch goes, Sunday in Steinbach at 2:30 p.m.
